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Comment by kevin | Hacker News Reader

You look for grit. What evidence can you find that shows they don't just give up when things get hard?

Thing is we don't find out usually until after we invest what the real problems are...so we optimize for people we want to spend a lot of time with and work on these problems/issues whatever they may be.

Most founders feel imposter syndrome after they're accepted. The great thing about being part of a batch is you realize you're not alone and then learn that shit show is actually a default state. When you learn that, you relax and focus on the resourcefulness you need to solve your problems systematically.

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> You look for grit.

It always seems to me that "grit" and "stubbornness" are similar, and being stubborn to the degree of being unable to give up a hopeless dream seems to be a problem for startup founders. How do you distinguish between these very similar traits when you interview someone?

The difference is in adaptation: when challenged with new perspective / data, do they incorporate it into their vision or ignore the data?

Founders/management/whoever need to maintain the ability to vet the value of the new perspective / data.

To use a silly example: A flower buying website might do best to avoid spending time/money crafting promotions aimed at single biker dudes who live life off the grid. Even though there is possibly large group of folks that are under represented in the rebel luddite flower purchaser demographics.

That's the crux of what makes this stuff hard. Where do you draw the line between being flexible in decision making AND unyielding in your vision?

IMO, "grit" is about working the problem and not giving up but potentially changing tactics, while "stubbornness" is about keeping the same tactics even if the problem changes.

stubbornness seems to imply rigidity; you can exhibit grit while still being flexible and adapting to changes

pg said something about the different between grit and stubbornness here http://paulgraham.com/determination.html.

This is exactly what I was thinking the other day when I saw a tweet from Jessica Livingston saying: "Denial is the silent killer of startups." How do you know if you are persevering, or if you're in denial?

Ask someone with fresh eyes.

I'm living out of a van right now in Palo Alto, after having sold everything I own to build projects that work. My worldly possessions can fit inside a single backpack. My co-founder and I are generating revenue and grinding on making sure the community loves what we're building.

My burn rate is close to 300-400/mo, less if I eat less per day. #grit

Beyond that what else is there?

You know a bowl of rice is less than $1 and the return on investment is probably higher... because you know, you can think clearer.

Buy instant(ish) noodles from an asian grocery. They often have lots of great variety and are cheap and healthier than the ramen you'll usually get in big chain groceries. In fact, but as much as you can from asian groceries, they tend to be super cheap and need your business more than big chains do.

to add to that, get the Indomie brand, they add extra vitamins and nutrients, I believe it's because Indomie is consumed practically by everyone in Indonesia, the govt mandated them to be healthier (this is based off of memory years ago).

Awesome, thanks you two for the tips! :)

I respect that. I don't know if I have a specific suggestion on how you can run leaner, but look for ways to sell/trade what few assets you control for cash.

When I was trying to learn to code, I was an undergrad with literally no money, but I had a prepaid college meal plan my parents had bought me. So I ate one meal a day for a month and sold off my extra meals at a discount for cash to buy coding books.

For example, if your van runs, I can think of several possibilities, especially if you don't need it during the day (i.e. drive to a library or somewhere where you can work for free all day and then you've got a HUGE asset available to work out trades and deals all day every day).

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